What to expect on the gmat 1 potx

Arguments, Conclusions, and Premises

Argument = Conclusion (main claim) + Premise(s) (supporting claim[s])

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believe. The premise is the claim or claims that provide support or reasons to accept the conclusion. To make

an argument, you must articulate at least two claims, and at least one of the claims must offer (or attempt to

offer) support for the conclusion.

Here are some examples. The conclusion of each argument is underlined:

I do not see Xiomara anywhere. She must not have arrived yet.

You should spend ten minutes each day doing yoga. Deep breathing and stretching will improve your

health and mood, and they are easy to fit into your day.

A flat tax is the answer to our tax troubles. It would treat everyone fairly and would dramatically sim￾plify the tax code. This would make filing taxes easier and make many Americans feel better about giv￾ing their money to the government.

Notice that this last argument offers several premises to support its conclusion:

1. A flat tax would treat everyone fairly.

2. A flat tax would simplify the tax code.

3. A flat tax (because it would simplify the tax code) would make filing taxes easier.

4. A flat tax (because it would treat everyone fairly) would make Americans feel better about paying taxes.

Of course, the more reasonable the premises and the more premises offered, the more convincing and

effective the argument. You will see an example of this in a moment.

It will often be clear which of the claims in an argument is the conclusion, but many times you will need

to consider the argument carefully to determine the main claim. The following conclusion and premise indi￾cators can help.

CONCLUSION INDICATORS PREMISE INDICATORS

thus since

therefore because

hence for

this shows/suggests/implies/proves that in view of the fact that

consequently

so

accordingly